The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Virgin Islands State Nurses Association (VISNA) said in a recent press release that they were proud to continue their commitment to help improve the health and wellness of nurses and the patients and communities they serve as part of 2017\u2019s National Nurses Week.<\/p>\n
Founded by ANA, National Nurses Week is observed each year from May 6 through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The week recognizes the significant contributions nurses make to improve the health of the nation.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s theme for National Nurses Week is \u201cThe Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.\u201d With a focus on self-care, ANA has also designated 2017 as the \u201cYear of the Healthy Nurse.\u201d Each month, ANA is highlighting various health, safety, and wellness topics to help nurses achieve their best health ever. VISNA will also be sponsoring similar programs locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur focus on improving the health of America\u2019s nurses goes beyond self-care,\u201d said ANA President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. \u201cEvery time a nurse interacts with a patient, he or she has an opportunity to be a role model for good health. And a healthy nurse is more likely to talk to a patient about how to get healthy, and is more credible when promoting those behaviors. That\u2019s how nurses can help change the health of America.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nurses, hospitals, and other health care stakeholders are encouraged to download the National Nurses Week Resource Toolkit, which includes materials to help promote this annual observance in local communities and in the media.<\/p>\n
ANA will also offer a free webinar during National Nurses Week. Entitled \u201cA Nurse\u2019s Guide to Preventing Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Burnout;\u201d this hour-long program will help participants identify and manage some of the common challenges nurses face\u2014compassion fatigue, moral distress, and burnout. More information about the webinar can be found here.<\/p>\n
In another effort to help nurses get and stay healthy, the ANA Enterprise launched the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation\u2122 Grand Challenge on May 1. This national initiative aims to transform the health of the nation by improving the health of America\u2019s 3.6 million registered nurses which includes 13,182 nurses registered in the Territory. The Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation\u2122 Grand Challenge will connect and engage individual nurses, employers of nurses, state nurses associations, and specialty nurses associations to take action to improve their health in five key areas: physical activity, rest, nutrition, quality of life, and safety. This initiative can be accessed on VISNA\u2019s website visnaus.org by going to the ANA link.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Government House issued a release recognizing Nurses Week.\u00a0\u201cI ask that all residents of these Virgin Islands join me in honoring our registered nurses who care for all of us and that all residents celebrate registered nurses\u2019 accomplishments and efforts to improve our health care system, and show our appreciation for the Territory\u2019s registered nurses not just during this week, but at every opportunity throughout the year,\u201d\u00a0he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The Juan F. Luis Hospital also issued a release recognizing Nurses Week, which the hospital said it will recognize from May 7-13.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Virgin Islands State Nurses Association (VISNA) said in a recent press release that they were proud to continue their commitment to help improve the health and wellness of nurses and the patients and communities they serve as part of 2017\u2019s National Nurses Week. Founded by ANA, National Nurses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":52153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,12,147],"tags":[6853],"yoast_head":"\n